Parents Say Students Forced To Learn Spanish

[Kidlicious]

High School sucked very bad for me and I dropped out. Then I finished in adult school and eventually went to college and graduated. That's not a common course though.

[Krill]

What doesn't matter Blake? School is there to facilitate children leatning the skills they wll need in later life to work in a job. As you've posted you think the ideal life is where people work alot less, hence your ideal that schools shouldn't be used to teach people to fit into the aforsaid system. Unfortunately the world doesn't work like that, people have to work to pay the bills. Having read all or most of your posts in the oTF over the past 6 months, I do admire the ideal world that you;ve posted about, but this isn't it, and until it exists I think training children to be corporate whores is probably the way that most of them are going to be happy in their lives.

[Xorbon]

I can understand people's frustrations with immigrants (illegal or otherwise) not bothering to learn English in America. And if they aren't forcing the Hispanic kids in that school to learn English, then that's a bad thing. But, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having Spanish as a mandatory part of a school curriculum. Especially if the school in question is in a place, like Texas or California, that is directly adjacent to a Spanish-speaking country.

I don't think it's "catering to the Mexicans". It's teaching the kids something that will likely be valuable at some point in the future if they ever decide (or need) to travel.

Here, French is mandatory for a few years until high school (where it becomes an elective), and I think that's great. Even if all that I can remember from school is "Une biere, s'il vous plait."

[Krill]

"Deux biere, s'il vous plait" is beter though. You're either drinking with "someone" or you get another beer

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by Xorbon
I can understand people's frustrations with immigrants (illegal or otherwise) not bothering to learn English in America. And if they aren't forcing the Hispanic kids in that school to learn English, then that's a bad thing. But, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having Spanish as a mandatory part of a school curriculum. Especially if the school in question is in a place, like Texas or California, that is directly adjacent to a Spanish-speaking country.

I don't think it's "catering to the Mexicans". It's teaching the kids something that will likely be valuable at some point in the future if they ever decide (or need) to travel.

Dallas is as close to Chicago as it is to Mexico.
All you people who complain about government intervention, but can't draw the comparison here, aren't very bright.
I'd say it in Spanish, French or Swahili, but I have neither the desire nor the inclination.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Dallas is as close to Chicago as it is to Mexico.

I think you need a geography lesson there bud.

All you people who complain about government intervention, but can't draw the comparison here, aren't very bright.
I'd say it in Spanish, French or Swahili, but I have neither the desire nor the inclination.

Where were you in the Berkeley/Marines thread?

[SlowwHand]

I don't need a geography lesson. You might, though.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
I don't need a geography lesson. You might, though.

Chicago is at least twice as far away dude.

[SlowwHand]

So?

[Kidlicious]

I you.

[-Jrabbit]

Dallas to Chicago, 803 miles
Dallas to Mexico City, 934 miles

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Dallas to Chicago, 803 miles
Dallas to Mexico City, 934 miles

How far is it from China?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

[SIZE=1]I don't think it's "catering to the Mexicans". It's teaching the kids something that will likely be valuable at some point in the future if they ever decide (or need) to travel.

It's not even about travel. Measured by number of native speakers, Spanish is either the second or third most widespread language on earth (either just ahead of or just behind English; measurements vary). Closer economic ties with Latin American countries, begun under Clinton with NAFTA and the Chilean Free Trade Agreement and continued under Bush with DR-CAFTA, are likely to continue regardless of which party is in power. The US is banking on the Spanish-speaking world in envisioning out economic future. Certainly one can disapprove of that, but it would be foolish to ignore it.

[SlowwHand]

Nothing is ahead of English. You spend too much time analyzing the faults of America. Some is good. You take it way too far. People who live in the USA are blessed, whether your spoiled ass thinks so or not.
The simple and plain truth is, English is the language of the world.
Additionally, I can hold my own speaking Spanish. My daughter is fluent.
The point is, the government is out of place making it mandatory. It's not their damn business. Go cure the economy. Go get the troops out of Iraq. There's lots they can stay busy doing besides telling people what language they'll learn.

[-Jrabbit]

Um, weren't we talking about a local Texas school board?